Government Gender Equality Promise Fails

A ten year government initiative to have gender equality on the job market, has failed according to a report, with women only getting one third of the top job’s in Sweden’s public sector.

In 1994, the Social Democrats vowed that at least half of its top government officials should be women, to reflect the general population. But while 11 of the 21 ministerial posts are held by women, the report by Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet shows that the government has failed to live upto its promise when it comes to appointing heads of the different government institutions and authorities.

In the last two years, 36 percent of available public top jobs were given to women, the newspaper reported. In 2002, the figure was 42 percent, but between 1998 and 2001, it never came above 28 percent.

The study also shows that the 10 highest-paid department

heads and directors in the public sector are all men.

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